1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flipper panel assembly associated with a load floor and a rear seat assembly in a motor vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a flipper panel assembly for covering a gap between a back side of a foldable and slidably adjustable rear seat assembly and a cargo area having a load floor.
2. Description of Related Art
Motor vehicles often include a rear seat assembly that is mounted to a floor in the vehicle in front of a cargo area having a load floor. Typically, the rear seat assembly includes a seat back that can be folded forward from an upright seating position to a stowed position, either onto a seat cushion or the vehicle floor in order to extend the load floor of the cargo area. With the seat back in either the upright or stowed position, a gap is present between a back side of the rear seat assembly and the load floor which is unsightly and may allow articles being transported in the cargo area to fall therein.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,091 issued to Wieczorek, a gap between a rear seat and a load floor is covered by a flipper panel. One end of the flipper panel is pivotally mounted to the load floor and another end of the flipper panel rests against a back side of a seat back such that the flipper panel covers the gap as the seat back pivots between an upright seating position and a stowed position. The seat is limited, however, in that it is not slidably movable for forward and rearward adjustment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,916 issued to Czerwinski et al., a rear seat is slidably coupled to a vehicle floor for forward and rearward movement and a main gap between the rear seat and a load floor is bridged by a flipper panel. The flipper panel extends between a forward end and a rearward end. The forward end of the flipper panel is pivotally mounted to a seat support member that is secured to the rear seat and the rearward end of the flipper panel is slidably disposed on the load floor. Forward and rearward movement of the rear seat changes the main gap between the rear seat and the load floor. As the main gap changes, the flipper panel continues to bridge the main gap as the flipper panel slides along the load floor. A secondary gap is provided between a seat back and the forward end of the flipper panel to provide clearance for allowing the seat back to pivot between an upright seating position and a stowed position. Since the flipper panel does not rest against a back side of the seat back, the secondary gap is always present between the back side of the seat back and the forward end of the flipper panel. Therefore, the potential for articles to fall therein always remains.
It is therefore desirable to provide a flipper panel assembly that will cover or bridge a gap between a slidably adjustable rear seat assembly and a load floor of a cargo area. It is also desirable that the flipper panel assembly rest against a back side of a seat back to completely cover or bridge the gap as the seat back pivots between an upright seating position and a forwardly folded stowed position.